Chairytale: Before, Between, Beyond
by rayj829
Summary: A companion piece to my Chairytale saga, filling in missed moments from before C&B's fateful night in 1x07, to storylines I either skipped or glossed over in my original retelling in my early rush to get chapters out and further their story, and leaving it open for future installments in this somewhat AU piece.


_AN: I had originally written a o/s for Limoversary, however I soon realized that that particular piece actually works better for the upcoming anniversary in December so sadly, you'll have to wait another month for that one to be posted, but! I still wanted to post something for the fandom today so, as I've mentioned elsewhere, I decided to go ahead and debut the first installment in my companion piece to Chairytale =D_

 _This installment sets us back at the pilot, giving us several missed moments between our beloved C &B as many of us feel there wasn't enough interaction between them during that particular episode. The rest of this particular series will contain numerous missing moments between them leading up to that fateful night in the back of C's limo and then include various storylines from seasons 1, 2 and 3 that I had either skipped completely or glossed over in my early haste to get chapters out and further their story (those of you who had followed since the early days of Chairytale, remember when I was churning out multiple chapters a week?!)._

 _If you've enjoyed my Chairytale saga (especially the first half of it), I'm sure you'll enjoy this companion piece to it. If you haven't read it yet, feel free to read this one along with it!_

 _As always, thanks so much to the ever-lovely M (Scarlett2u) for taking the time to read over my work beforehand =)_

 _And now... we go back to the start._

* * *

"How dare he!" Blair grumbled to herself as she quickly readjusted her dress and stopped by the mirror in the room to make sure her hair was still in place. Sure, all their friends knew she had snuck off to be alone with her boyfriend Nate, however she still had a reputation to uphold and needed to look impeccable at her own party instead of looking like a hot mess that had just surrendered her virtue... or at least tried to.

She stepped out of the room and immediately spotted her boyfriend standing on one end of the hall, something – or rather someone – clearly captivating his gaze. Looking to her left and down the end of the hall she spotted just who it was and locked her own eyes with her former best friend standing with both their mothers.

"Hi," she sweetly squealed as she took a step forward, reaching to give Serena a friendly hug while plastering on her best fake society smile. She knew people were probably watching their long-awaited reunion, most likely snapping photos to send to Gossip Girl. "Serena! So good to see you! Come, we're about to have dinner," she warmly invited, quickly attempting to usher her past Nate.

"What a great idea – I'll set a place for you at the table next to Blair," Blair's mother Eleanor announced, surprised yet also happy that Serena was back in town. She knew her daughter hadn't been the same since she left.

"Actually... there's somewhere I have to go," Serena informed them as she quickly tried to escape, no where near ready to have a confrontation with Blair just yet.

"You're leaving?" Blair questioned, confused. Why would Serena show up just to immediately leave? Something was up.

"Yeah, I... I just don't feel well and I just wanted to come by and say hi..." Serena excused herself as she once again tried to turn away from Blair and both their mothers, however she noticed more of their friends and classmates were beginning to crowd around. "I'll see you at school on Monday!" she continued as she finally broke away from them all, rushing to leave.

"School..." Blair remarked as she took her place in the hallway next to Kati and Iz with Chuck lurking not too far behind them, all of them watching Serena leave. "So I guess she's back for good."

"Didn't you know she was coming?" Kati inquired, shocked as Blair wasn't usually one for surprises or uninvited guests.

"Of course I did," Blair instantly shot back. She wasn't about to have one of her minions question her like that. "I just wanted it to be a surprise," she lied, covering up her own surprise that Serena had showed her face there of all places. Annoyed, she turned to walk past them and down the hallway, deciding to go look for Nate who had mysteriously disappeared.

"I see Serena has returned..." Chuck's voice trailed from behind her as she walked past him.

"Who does she think she is showing up at my party just to leave immediately?" Blair snarled as she quickly proceeded down the hall, looking in every nook and entryway for her boyfriend.

"Yeah and the way Nate chased after her..." Chuck absentmindedly spoke, forgetting she still had no idea, as he followed after her.

"You know, Bass... if I didn't know better I would think there was something going on between them..." she confessed as she continued to desperately look around for her boyfriend. _Where is he?_ She thought to herself, growing irritated _. This apartment isn't *that* big..._

 _You have no idea..._ Chuck thought to himself, giving her a playful smirk as if to say he didn't know, letting her draw her own conclusion once she turned to look at him.

He wanted to tell her the truth, confirm that her suspicions were correct as it had been eating at him for the better part of a year now, however he knew it wasn't his place. She had already gone through so much these past nine months and while they had grown closer as friends because of it all he didn't want to be the one to break that particular news to her. Especially when she had been doing so well lately. With the prospect of starting a new school year fresh, with them being officially being upperclassmen and her being the reigning queen... he would hate to see everything she had worked so hard for fall apart so easily. He knew it was going to be hard enough now that Serena was apparently back, but then for her to find out the truth about her best friend and her boyfriend and why her best friend had left her in the first place... he had a feeling it would be too much for her.

"Have you seen Nate?" she finally asked him, conceding to him for help. "Did he really go after her?!"

"Hard to say, Princess, although I definitely don't think he's still here," Chuck admitted as he too took a good look around, noting that her boyfriend who was also his best friend was nowhere to be found. "I'm sure he just stepped out for some fresh air," he quickly covered, hoping to help leave her suspicions at bay for now. "And actually... I think maybe I'll step out and join him," he decided, motioning with his fingers that he actually was planning on going to smoke that joint he had offered to Nate earlier.

Blair simply rolled her eyes at him as he turned to leave. _Chuck's_ _probably right though,_ she told herself with a sigh. _Nate had probably just gone outside for a smoke._

* * *

Chuck had just had sat down on the couch in his suite with an ice pack on his crotch, pondering what was up with this "new" Serena and what she had done to the old, anything goes, party-loving Serena they all knew and loved when there was a rapid knock on his door. While he had obviously planned on attempting to seduce her, raping her was never his intention. The two of them had partied enough together over the years that he knew she usually was pretty free with herself which is why it had shocked him to see how aggressive she had gotten when he tried to take things further. Something was definitely different with her and he was curious as to what.

"Just a second," he called out as he stood to answer it.

He had no sooner opened the door when a familiar brunette with tears in her eyes threw herself into his arms, causing him to slightly stumble as he was completely caught off guard.

"Whoa, Blair... what happened? What's wrong?" he was quick to ask as he gently ushered her in, closing the door behind her.

"I know why Serena left," she blurted out between sobs. Her tears were beginning to soak his shirt and had it been any other girl he would have been pissed, however he decided he could make an exception for Blair as she was one of his closest friends after all. He would just be sure to send her the dry cleaning bill, he decided.

"Oh?" he asked curiously as he awkwardly ran a hand along her back, trying to comfort her as best as he knew how.

"Yeah... Nate told me," she continued to cry as he began leading her towards the couch.

"Told you what?" he suspiciously wondered as they sat down together, curious to know if she knew the full truth of what he had accidentally witnessed first hand.

"Everything!" she exclaimed as she took a tissue from the box he had passed over to her.

"Which is...?" Chuck pressed a little further.

"He slept with her, Chuck! He fucking slept with her!" Blair screamed. "At the Shepherd wedding, where he was _my_ date!"

Chuck let out a small sigh as he relaxed into the couch. He was relieved that Blair finally knew the truth and that it was no longer his burden to bear alone, however he couldn't believe Nate's stupidity in actually telling her the full truth.

"God, I can't believe I was so stupid to not notice it!" she declared as she continued.

"As much as I hate to mention it, he has always seemed to have a bit of a fascination with her... ever since we were little," Chuck pointed out.

"That's what I'm saying, Chuck! Looking back now, it's so obvious... why couldn't I have realized it sooner?!"

"Because you love him," Chuck nonchalantly spoke before pausing. "Don't you?"

"I... yes... no... gah! I don't know anymore!" she began to cry again, causing Chuck to roll his eyes while she was distracted.

Talking and listening he could do, but crying? That was something he definitely could never get used to, no matter how many times he had helped pick up the pieces of Blair Waldorf in the past nine months.

"Serena can't win though – just because she's suddenly back doesn't mean she can have whatever and whoever she wants!" Blair declared, recapturing his attention.

"What are you thinking, Waldorf?" He asked as he could sense the wheels in her pretty little head beginning to turn, thinking up a plan to get back at Serena. He couldn't help smirking to himself as he decided he would be more than happy to help her achieve victory – afterall, Serena needed to pay for how she treated him earlier downstairs in the kitchen. "Total social destruction?" he had no sooner suggested when his phone began to ring. Glancing at it, he saw that it was Nate calling. Hesitant to answer it at first, he knew Nate would only show up regardless. "I should probably take this," Chuck reluctantly to her as he stood.

"Let me guess – Nate?" Blair scoffed as she continued to sit on the couch, wiping away a few remaining tears.

"Unfortunately," Chuck replied.

"Fine, if you must," she stated with a wave of her hand, dismissing him for the moment. "I'll admit, I'm curious to hear what he has to say for himself... probably play the victim, blaming it all on Serena when it takes two to tango..."

He had to admit, he was a bit proud at the fact that she wasn't letting Nate place any blame of the situation on her.

"Here," he stated, passing her the remote to the TV. "Tiffany's is still on the classic movie channel – go ahead and start it up, I'll be back in a minute," he told her as he began to walk towards the bedroom part of the suite. "Nathaniel," he spoke when he finally answered his phone.

"Took you long enough to answer – you with a girl?" Nate hurriedly asked.

"Sort of..." Chuck spoke, not really wanting to tell him that it was Blair he was currently with.

"Well, I'm coming over – I need my boy."

"Nathaniel... I don't really think that's a good idea-"

"C'mon man, can't you easily get rid of her? She can't be that important..."

"Actually..." Chuck began as he looked over towards Blair who was curled up on his couch, snuggled up with a blanket as he could hear the beginning of the movie play.

"I told Blair about the night of the Shepherd wedding," Nate blurted out, hoping Chuck would understand the importance of him needing to come over.

"Yeah, I know," Chuck snapped back.

"What? How?!" Nate quickly questioned, confused. "Unless... Blair's there, isn't she?"

"Yes, Nathaniel, she is," Chuck growled over the phone, beginning to grow annoyed by the whole situation Nate had caused. "What the hell were you thinking?!" he demanded to know as he lowered his voice, turning away from the direction Blair was in.

"I... I don't know... I thought I should be honest with her! She's been throwing herself at me moreso lately than before... I thought she should know I wasn't a virgin like she thought," Nate sheepishly admitted.

"God, Nathaniel... you didn't have to tell her who it was with though!"

"Again, I thought it was best to be honest with her," he pointed out. "I do have to ask though... why did she go to you? You better not take advantage of her while she's vulnerable!" he threatened.

"Relax, Archibald – as you've failed to realize, I've been picking up pieces of Waldorf for quite some time now. If I was going to take advantage of her, I would have done so by now," Chuck bit back, growing further annoyed by Nate's aloofness.

"You have?" Nate asked, once again confused.

"Yes – ever since Serena left. You were too preoccupied wondering why she left to bother noticing that your own girlfriend's life was going up in flames... someone had to be there for her," Chuck informed him. "And what did you think was going to happen when you told her? Clearly she was going to be upset at you and obviously she couldn't go running to her so-called best friend..."

"Right..." Nate sadly agreed as he realized Chuck really was the only other person she had to turn to right now. "How's she doing?"

"I've got her calmed down a little bit - she's curled up on the couch watching Tiffany's," Chuck told him as he turned around and glanced over at her once more.

"Thanks, man," Nate responded, glad that at least someone was looking after Blair, even if it was Chuck of all people. "Well since I can't come over but I have you on the phone... what do you suggest I do?"

"Give her some time to cool down and process it all... maybe call her in the morning? Meet her for lunch?" he suggested although the truth was he really had no idea how to fix this mess.

If Nate wasn't his best friend and it were up to him, he would tell her to forget about him and move on. Nate didn't deserve her. He never had. While Blair had chased after Nate for as long as Chuck could remember, Nate had always had eyes for Serena. The two of them almost deserved each other and he knew Blair could do better without them. However, Nate _was_ his best friend and because of that, he had to at least try to help get them back together, whether he agreed with it or not.

* * *

They rode along the streets of Manhattan in the back of Chuck's limo on their way to Blair's party with her minions Kati and Iz tagging along. Things seemed to be somewhat normal amongst the three of them, Blair teasing Chuck mercilessly about his scarf, even attempting to steal it from him at one point while Nate continued to be the clueless boyfriend.

As Blair broke open a bottle of champagne all over the floor, Chuck couldn't help but feel a little disappointed that his suggestion to Nate about talking things over with Blair at lunch had actually seemed to work. He didn't know why, but he didn't like it one bit – Blair had every reason to be pissed at Nate.

He tried to shake off his confusion over how he felt about the whole situation, playfully diving across the backseat and planting himself between Kati and Iz as the three of them continued to share a joint. He couldn't help noticing though how conflicted Nate suddenly looked and how miserable Blair appeared. _He doesn't deserve her_ , he thought to himself as he carefully observed them while Kati and Iz continued to go on about something or another.

* * *

As Serena, Jenny and some guy rushed out of the party together, Blair scoffed as she couldn't believe what she was seeing.

Once again, Serena had showed up to another one of her parties, uninvited, and left in record time. Gossip Girl was going to have a field day with this. As if it wasn't humiliating enough to know that her best friend had taken her boyfriend's virginity, Serena was the It Girl of the Upper East Side - how could any party be considered a success when Serena Van der Woodsen showed up only to leave quicker than she had arrived?

She quickly followed after the trio, just to confirm for herself that she really did leave again. Lo and behold, she witnessed Serena climbing into the cab too.

Almost immediately, she sensed a familiar presence suddenly behind her.

"She better not show her face again," Blair declared, not even needing to look to know that it was Chuck. She didn't know why, but for some reason she could always sense his presence when he was near.

"I'm actually hoping she will," he remarked from over her shoulder as he too watched Serena flee the scene with the little blonde slut and the guy who was apparently her brother.

Blair turned just slightly to look over at him, seeing if he had something in mind. As suspected, she could read in his eyes staring back at her that they were indeed on the same page. Something needed to be done about Serena.

"What the hell happened to you?" she couldn't help asking a moment later, noticing his eye was beginning to swell.

"Little Jenny Humphrey," he muttered under his breath as he realized he was most likely going to have a black eye in the morning.

"You should probably get some ice for that," Blair quietly snickered. Clearly the girl had gotten the better of him and he had struck out - something everyone knew Chuck Bass hated.

With a nod, Chuck turned to go back inside and find some. Together, they would start coming up with a plan for Serena's downfall soon enough.


End file.
